Earlier this year, the first global analysis of all mass–produced plastics found that humans have produced over 8.3bn tonnes of the stuff since the 1950s. And with this figure predicted to rise to 34bn by 2050, issues around its production, usage, and disposal, are of the utmost importance. But what is it about plastics that makes them so widespread? Where does most of it end up? And looking to the future – what can now be done to address the ever-growing threats that plastics can pose?

To explore this and more, Nicola Davis speaks with a co-author of the global analysis, Jenna Jambeck, an associate professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. We also hear about some of the effects these materials can have on marine life, as told by Plymouth’s University’s professor of marine biology, Richard Thompson. And finally, we look to the future of plastics and hear from the University of York’s Dr Ian Ingram about how he and others are hoping to use sustainable biomaterials as new building blocks for plastic polymers.